Kettle drum



O. MURBACH KETTLE DRUM Feb. `19, 1952 Filed April 22, 1950 arf Patented Feb. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KETTLE DRUM Oskar Murbach, Lucerne, Switzerland Application April 22, 1950, Serial No. 157,418

This invention relates to kettle drums. With most kettle drums used hitherto, and also with those in which the tuning is carried out by rotating the kettle, the tensioning mechanism for the skin is arranged outside of the kettle. This execution not only gives the instrument an unsightly appearance, but also takes up an unnecessary amount of space.

The kettle ,drum according to the present invention in which the tensioning mechanism for tensioning and detensioning the skin is operated by rotating the kettle about a vertical axis, but not having the above-mentioned disadvantages, is characterized in that the tensioning mechanism is arranged in the interior of the kettle, and that it has arms extending outwardly through the wall of the kettle, said arms being operatively connected with the tensioning ring of the skin.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification an embodiment of the present invention is shown in which- Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the kettle drum according to the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section to a larger scale through the pivot at the point of passage of the arm through the wall of the kettle,

Fig. 3 is an alternative execution of the pivot, and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section to Fig. 3.

The kettle drum stands on three legs I having the rubber ends 2. The rods of the legs I are inserted in the projections 3 of a star 4. In a central hole of the star 4 the bottom end of the spindle 5 is screwed in and said spindle serves as the rotational axis for the kettle. When the kettle drum is not in use the kettle B can be separated from its pedestal by undoing the thumb screw 6 which is screwed into the bottom end of the spindle 5.

To the bottom part of the kettle 6 a flange 8 is secured by means oi the screws l, said flange having an extension 9 fitting the spindle 5, said extension forming the bearing for the rotation of the kettle on the spindle 5. Resting against the top end of the extension 9 a ring III is secured to the spindle 5 by means of the pin II.

Between the ange 8 and the star 4 a braking device (not shown) is provided to prevent an unintentional rotation of the kettle caused by the vibrations set up during drumming.

The actual tensioning device for the skin, which is located in the interior of the kettle, is constructed as follows:

The top end of the spindle 5 is provided with 1 Claim. (Cl. 84-419) a screw-threaded portion I2 with which the screw-nut I3 of a sleeve I4 is engaged. At the opposite end of the sleeve I4 a guiding piece I5 is provided, said guiding piece being capable of sliding up and down along the part of the spindle 5 devoid of any screw-thread.

To the top end of said sleeve, the radial braces I 6 and to the bottom end of said sleeve the braces II inclined upwardly are secured, said braces being joined to each other at their intersections by means of the bolts I8.

The links I 9, whichare secured to the arms 22 extending through the Wall of the kettle by means of the washers 20 and the bolts 2|, are connected to said braces by means of the bolts I8 (Figs. 1 and 2).

The arms 22 are drilled approximately at their centers and are pivotal about the pins 23 inserted into said drilled holes. The pins 23 are in their turn inserted in the sockets 24 which are secured to the wall of the kettle by means of the lock nuts 25.

The outer ends of the arms 22 are extended for the reception of the pivot pins 26 and have the vertical slots 2'I (Fig. 2). These slots 21 allow the passage of the tension bolts 28 which at their top ends are inserted in lugs of the tension ring 29 for the skin 30 and at their bottom ends are screwed into the pivot pins 26. They serve for the tuning of the kettle drum.

To change the tuning of the kettle drum, the kettle 6 is rotated and thus revolves about the spindle 5. In this manner the sleeve I4 is moved up or down along the threaded portion I2, which movement is transmitted through the links I9 to the arms 22. The corresponding up or down movement of the bolts 28 is then also transmitted to the tension ring 29 to which the drum skin 30 is secured in a known manner thus changing the tone of the kettle drum.

In the Figs. 3 and 4 an alternative construction of the passage of the arms through the wall of the drum is shown.

The arms 3l passing through the wall of the kettle 6 are pivoted to the intersection points of the braces I6, I'I by means of the bolts 32. When the skin 30 is tensioned the arms 3| come to bear against the top side of the passage orices. Thus a pivot point for the arms 3| is created at this point. The points of passage are reinforced on the outside by means of the plates 33. The arrangement of the other parts and their method of function is the same as that described in the rst example of embodiment.

Due to the location of the tensioning mechanism 3 in the interior of the kettle the kettle drum according to the present invention has an aesthetic appearance and is in addition easy to manipulate` For the purpose of transport it can be easily dismantled by unscrewing the pedestal.

What I claim and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

A kettle drum provided with a tensioning mechanism including a ring for the tensioning and detensioning of the skin by rotating vthe kettle about its vertical axis, said tensioning mechanism being arranged in the interior of said kettle; comprising arms extending from within said kettle through the wall thereof. means pivotally mounted in the Wall of said kettle and interconnecting said arms with said tensioningring, .a spindle provided with a screw-threaded portion at one end thereof, a sleeve provided with a screw-nut and braces, said braces of said sleeve being linked to said arms. said sleeve being mov- REFERENCES CITED The following'v references are of .recordin the `iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS `Number Name Date 1,565,329 Robison Dec. 15, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 537,556 Germany July 10, 1891 

